Thursday morning March 24

Holy Thursday

Preparation

Opening response

Lord, open our lipsand our mouth will proclaim your praise.Let your ways be known upon earth,your saving power among the nations.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,to you be praise and glory forever.As a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefyour only Son was lifted upthat he might draw the whole world to himself.May we walk this day in the way of the crossand always be ready to share its weight,declaring your love for all the world.Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.Blessed be God forever.

Acceptance through his holy name,Forgiveness in his blood we have;But more abundant life we claimThrough him who died our souls to save,To sanctify us by his bloodAnd fill with all the life of God.

As it were slain behold thy Son,And hear his blood that speaks above;Oh let us all thy grace be shown,Peace, righteousness, and joy, and love:Thy kingdom come to every heart,And all thou hast, and all thou art.

Confession of sin

O King enthroned on high,filling the earth with your glory:holy is your name,Lord God almighty.

May the God of all healing and forgivenessdraw us to himself,and cleanse us from all our sinsthat we may behold the glory of his Son,the Word made flesh,Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

The Word of God

Psalm 42

Refrain:I will again give him thanks, my saving presence and my God.

Just like a deer that craves streams of water, my whole being craves you, God.My whole being thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and see God’s face?My tears have been my food both day and night, as people constantly questioned me, “Where’s your God now?”But I remember these things as I bare my soul: how I made my way to the mighty one’s abode, to God’s own house, with joyous shouts and thanksgiving songs— a huge crowd celebrating the festival!Why, I ask myself, are you so depressed? Why are you so upset inside?Hope in God! Because I will again give him thanks, my saving presence and my God.My whole being is depressed. That’s why I remember you from the land of Jordan and Hermon, from Mount Mizar.Deep called to deep at the noise of your waterfalls; all your massive waves surged over me.By day the Lord commands his faithful love; by night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.I will say to God, my solid rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I have to walk around, sad, oppressed by enemies?”With my bones crushed, my foes make fun of me, constantly questioning me: “Where’s your God now?”Why, I ask myself, are you so depressed? Why are you so upset inside? Hope in God! Because I will again give him thanks, my saving presence and my God.

Glory to the Father and to the Sonand to the Holy Spirit;as it was in the beginning is nowand will be forever. Amen.

Refrain:I will again give him thanks, my saving presence and my God.

Psalm prayer

Come, creator Spirit, source of life;sustain us when our hearts are heavyand our wells have run dry,for you are the Father’s gift,with him who is our living water, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 43

Refrain:Send your light and truth—those will guide me!

Establish justice for me, God! Argue my case against ungodly people! Rescue me from the dishonest and unjust!Because you are my God, my protective fortress! Why have you rejected me? Why do I have to walk around, sad, oppressed by enemies?Send your light and truth—those will guide me! Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling place.Let me come to God’s altar—let me come to God, my joy, my delight— then I will give you thanks with the lyre, God, my God!Why, I ask myself, are you so depressed? Why are you so upset inside? Hope in God! Because I will again give him thanks, my saving presence and my God.

Glory to the Father and to the Sonand to the Holy Spirit;as it was in the beginning is nowand will be forever. Amen.

Refrain:Send your light and truth—those will guide me!

Psalm prayer

Old Testament readingLeviticus 16:2-24

Tell your brother Aaron that he cannot come whenever he wants into the holy area inside the inner curtain, to the front of the cover that is on the chest, or else he will die, because I am present in the cloud above the cover. No, but Aaron must enter the holy area as follows: with a bull from the herd as a purification offering and a ram as an entirely burned offering. Aaron must dress in a holy linen tunic and wear linen undergarments on his body. He must tie a linen sash around himself and wrap a linen turban around his head. These are holy clothes—Aaron will first bathe his body in water and then put them on. He will take from the Israelite community two male goats for a purification offering and one ram for an entirely burned offering.

Aaron will offer the bull as a purification offering to make reconciliation for himself and his household. He will take the two male goats and place them before the Lord at the meeting tent’s entrance. Aaron will cast lots over the two goats: one lot labeled “the Lord’s” and the other lot labeled “Azazel’s.” Aaron will present the goat selected by the Lord’s lot and perform a purification offering with it. But the goat selected by Azazel’s lot will be left standing alive before the Lord in order to make reconciliation upon it by sending it away into the wilderness to Azazel.

Aaron will offer the bull for his purification offering to make reconciliation for himself and his household. He will slaughter the bull for his purification offering. Then he will take an incense pan full of burning coals from the altar, from before the Lord, and two handfuls of finely ground perfumed incense and bring them inside the inner curtain. He will put the incense on the fire before the Lord so that the cloud of incense conceals the cover that is on top of the covenant document, or else he will die. He will take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the cover from the east side. He will then sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times in front of the cover. Then he will slaughter the goat for the people’s purification offering, bring the blood inside the inner curtain, and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: he will sprinkle it on the cover and in front of the cover. In this way, he will make reconciliation for the inner holy area because of the pollution of the Israelites and because of their rebellious sins, as well as for all their other sins.

Aaron must do the same for the meeting tent, which is with them among their pollution. No one can be in the meeting tent from the time Aaron enters to make reconciliation in the inner holy area until the time he comes out. He will make reconciliation for himself, for his household, and for the whole assembly of Israel.

Aaron will then go to the altar that is before the Lord and make reconciliation for it: He will take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on each of the altar’s horns. He will sprinkle some of the blood on the altar with his finger seven times. In this way, he will purify it and make it holy again from the Israelites’ pollution.

When Aaron has finished reconciling the inner holy area, the rest of the meeting tent, and the altar, he will bring forward the live goat. Aaron will press both his hands on its head and confess over it all the Israelites’ offenses and all their rebellious sins, as well as all their other sins, putting all these on the goat’s head. Then he will send it away into the wilderness with someone designated for the job. The goat will carry on itself all their offenses to a desolate region, then the goat will be released into the wild.

After this, Aaron will enter the meeting tent, take off the linen clothes he was wearing when he entered the inner holy area, and will leave them there. He will bathe his body in water in a holy place and dress in his priestly clothing. Then he will go out and perform the entirely burned offerings for himself and for the people. In this way, he will make reconciliation for himself and for the people.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament readingLuke 23:1-25

The whole assembly got up and led Jesus to Pilate and began to accuse him. They said, “We have found this man misleading our people, opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming that he is the Christ, a king.”

Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus replied, “That’s what you say.”

Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no legal basis for action against this man.”

But they objected strenuously, saying, “He agitates the people with his teaching throughout Judea—starting from Galilee all the way here.”

Hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was from Herod’s district, Pilate sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. Herod was very glad to see Jesus, for he had heard about Jesus and had wanted to see him for quite some time. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some sign. Herod questioned Jesus at length, but Jesus didn’t respond to him. The chief priests and the legal experts were there, fiercely accusing Jesus. Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt. Herod mocked him by dressing Jesus in elegant clothes and sent him back to Pilate. Pilate and Herod became friends with each other that day. Before this, they had been enemies.

Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people. He said to them, “You brought this man before me as one who was misleading the people. I have questioned him in your presence and found nothing in this man’s conduct that provides a legal basis for the charges you have brought against him. Neither did Herod, because Herod returned him to us. He’s done nothing that deserves death. Therefore, I’ll have him whipped, then let him go.”

But with one voice they shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us.” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison because of a riot that had occurred in the city, and for murder.)

Pilate addressed them again because he wanted to release Jesus.

They kept shouting out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

For the third time, Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I’ve found no legal basis for the death penalty in his case. Therefore, I will have him whipped, then let him go.”

But they were adamant, shouting their demand that Jesus be crucified. Their voices won out. Pilate issued his decision to grant their request. He released the one they asked for, who had been thrown into prison because of a riot and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will.

Silence may be kept.

Gospel canticleThe Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)

Refrain: Christ loved those who were his, and showed them how deep was his love for them.

Bless the Lord God of Israelbecause he has come to help and has delivered his people.He has raised up a mighty savior for us in his servant David’s house,just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago.He has brought salvation from our enemiesand from the power of all those who hate us.He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,and remembered his holy covenant,the solemn pledge he made to our ancestor Abraham.He has granted that we would be rescuedfrom the power of our enemiesso that we could serve him without fear,in holiness and righteousness in God’s eyes,for as long as we live.You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.You will tell his people how to be savedthrough the forgiveness of their sins.Because of our God’s deep compassion,the dawn from heaven will break upon us,to give light to those who are sitting in darknessand in the shadow of death,to guide us on the path of peace.”

Luke 1:68-79

Glory to the Father and to the Sonand to the Holy Spirit;as it was in the beginning is nowand will be forever. Amen.

Refrain: Christ loved those who were his, and showed them how deep was his love for them.

Brief silence.

The Apostle’s Creed

Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,born of the Virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried;he descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again;he ascended into heaven,is seated at the right hand of the Father,and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers

Intercession and thanksgiving

Prayers are offeredfor the day and its tasksfor the world and its needsfor the Church and her life

Response

Father, by your SpiritBring in your kingdom.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

Almighty and everlasting God,who in your tender love towards the human race sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christto take upon him our fleshand to suffer death upon the cross:grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility,and also be made partakers of his resurrection;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Standing at the foot of the cross,as our Savior taught us, so we pray

Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sinsas we forgive those who sin against us.Lead us not into temptationbut deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power,and the glory are yoursnow and forever.Amen.

Conclusion

May Christ, who bore our sins on the cross,set us free to serve him with joy.Amen.